Stories

Clarisse and Dominique – Twins from Rwaza, Rwanda

Clarisse and Dominique, twins from Rwaza, Rwanda, were among the first children ever treated with MANA. Below is a piece of their story as told by their mother. The twins are healthy and thriving now!

“My name is Constance, and I am the mother of twins. I live in northwest Rwanda, in the shadow of the volcanoes. They make bricks beside our house. I have seven children. The youngest are twins – Clarisse and Dominique. My husband went to Kigali to work. He wasn’t here when they were born. Our gardens don’t produce enough food and the milk from the goats has stopped. The health worker visited our home. She said the twins were malnourished. So I took them to the health center. I walked for one hour. It was not easy. The nurse taught me many things about nutrition and health. She measured the children. Clarisse was seven months old but only weighed 3.8 kilos (8.4 pounds). She had severe acute malnutrition. They gave me a medicine called MANA and said to come back in one week. I’m happy that I can treat her at home. After one week, I returned to the clinic. When the nurse weighed Clarisse, she had gained almost one pound! She has more energy and is sleeping through the night now. I’m also getting more rest in the night and make enough milk for breast feeding. I’m very happy.”